News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-07-07
DIR. LOrimer's Checkered Career.
A Stowaway, a Thief, Gambler, an
Actor a Baptist Minister.

From the Washington Post.l
The Rev. DIR. Lorimer will to-day
mail to the committee of the Thirteenth
Street Baptist Church his response to
their call. Should he accept and come
to Washington the congregation of that
church will be under the charge of q
man who has had varied experience.
In the first place DR.. Lorimer came
to America as q stowaway. Although
the son of well-to-do parents in Scot
land, he became imbued with a spirit of
adventure, and, with another lad, hid
himself on board steamer until the
land had been left far behind. When
he came ashore at New York he wag
friendless and penniless. BY working
and by tramping he finally reached
Louisville. There he became an actor.
81 have been everything bad that man
could think of, " he is wont to tell his
congregation. 81 gambled, / stole, |
have been down in the slums. Thank
God that is all past and / am here; but
the lad who ran away with me has dis
appeared.
While still an actor, DR.. Lorimer
drifted into church one evening and
heard a sermon by the Rev. w. w.
Evarts, q man whose name is revered by
Baptists everywhere. The sermon CON
verted the actor. More than that, it led
him from the stage to the pulpit. After
a requisite amount of study in theo-
logical seminary, DR.. Lorimer was called
to the pastorate of the Shawmut Ave
nue. Baptist Church in Boston. His
salary for the first year was $4,000, and
he had not been pastor very long before
his congregation made him a present of
another 81, 900. Not only was his
preaching eloquent, but he was full of
energy and dramatic power. The con-
gregations grew larger and larger, and
be fore long a revival was begun, the
like of which Boston had not seen be-
fore. The whole city talked of the
new preacher and his wonderful elo-
quence.
1t was but natural that when the
Rev. Justin ID. Fulton was called to
Brooklyn, Dr. Lorimer should be
chosen as successor at fremont Temple
During the first year of this pastorate
Victor Emanuel declared religious free
dom in Italy, and the congregation of
the Temple sent over their pastor to
Rome in order that he might combine
a vacation with missionary work SO
quickly did he reach Rome that he was
the first Protestant Minister to preach a
sermon within the sacred city, and he Sc
lected for his pulpit place which was
literally under the shadow of the Vati-
can.
Returning from Rome, he wrote
book relating his experiences there, and
shortly afterward accepted callin Chi
cago. He is man of marked pecu-
liarities. His appearance does not
indicate his abilities. Slight in stature,
almost consumptive in his looks, lack
ing all the outward qualities which are
apt to impress men, he has the power
to sway multitudes by the magic of his
voice and words. So magnetic is his
influence that 5000 people have been
known to follow with one accord the
movements of his hands to and fro as
he added dramatic gesture to impas-
stoned eloquence. He is born orator.
His sermons are extemporaneous, and
his language flows as easily as a noun
tain stream. Yet he is not sensation
alist. His manner is direct and impress
sive, and he adds to the force of argu-
ment stories inimitably told. He is a
passionate lover of flowers, and has the
pulpit decked with flowers all the year
round. He is an enthusiastic fisher
man, and makes iovial companion.